Influence of pre-cure freezing of Iberian ham on proteolytic changes throughout the ripening process

This work aimed to investigate the effect of pre-cure freezing Iberian hams on proteolysis phenomena throughout the ripening process. Non-protein nitrogen (NPN), peptide nitrogen (PN) and amino acid nitrogen (AN) as well as amino acid and dipeptide evolution followed the same trend in both refrigerated (R) and pre-cure frozen (F) Iberian hams during processing. At the different stages of ripening, there were no differences in the content of NPN and AN while F dry-cured hams had higher levels of PN than R hams at the final step. This seemed to be more related to the salt content (lower in F than in R hams) than to the pre-cure freezing treatment. Most amino acids and dipeptides detected showed higher concentrations in F than in R Iberian hams at the green stage, being rather similar at the intermediate phases. At the final stage, the effects of pre-cure freezing of Iberian hams were not well defined, higher levels of some amino acids and dipeptides were found in R than in F Iberian hams whereas other amino acids were lower in R than in F hams.     

Influence of pre‐cure freezing on the profile of volatile compounds during the processing of Iberian hams

BACKGROUND: This work was designed to study the effect of pre‐cure freezing of raw thighs from Iberian pigs on the profile of volatile compounds during the processing of hams. RESULTS: Generation of volatile compounds during Iberian ham processing was similar in both pre‐cure frozen and refrigerated hams, the main differences being at the final stage. The levels of 2‐methylbutanal, 2‐methyl‐1‐butanol, 2,3‐butanediol and 2‐heptanol were significantly higher in dry‐cured hams that were pre‐cure frozen than in refrigerated ones, whereas the content of most detected esters was statistically lower in pre‐cure frozen than in refrigerated hams. CONCLUSION: The effect of pre‐cure freezing of Iberian ham on the profile of volatile compounds during ripening was not remarkable. Few differences were found in the final product, which would not greatly modify the aroma and flavour features of the dry‐cured hams. Copyright © 2010 Society of Chemical Industry     

Muscle individual phospholipid classes throughout the processing of dry-cured ham: Influence of pre-cure freezing

This paper aims to study the profile of phospholipid (PL) classes of Iberian ham throughout its processing and the changes it underwent due to the influence of the pre-cure freezing treatment. The general profile of each PL class did not vary during the ripening stage. Phosphatidylcholine (PC) showed the highest proportion, followed by phosphatidyletanolamine (PE) and phosphatidylserine (PS) and phosphatidylinositol (PI) being the minor PL. The four PL classes were highly hydrolysed during the salting stage and their degradation continued during the rest of the processing. Pre-cure freezing of Iberian ham influenced the levels of the four PL classes at the initial stage, all of them being higher in refrigerated (R) than in pre-cure frozen (F) hams. Moreover, the pattern of hydrolysis was not the same in these two groups.     

Effect of prefreezing hams on endogenous enzyme activity during the processing of Iberian dry-cured hams

The use of frozen/thawed raw material in the processing of Iberian dry-cured ham has been studied to determine its effect on the sensory quality of the final product. The proteolysis and lipolysis processes were measured by the proteolytic and lipolytic enzyme activities and free amino acids and free fatty acids. The thawed Iberian hams had lower salt contents throughout the process. The use of thawing raw material did not affect the proteolytic enzymes, cathepsins, aminopeptidases and dipeptidylpeptidases, only the activity of dipeptidylpeptidase III was reduced due to thawing. Moreover, there were no differences in the content of free amino acids between fresh and thawed hams during the whole process. However, the use of thawing hams affected the lipolytic activity. The activity of phospholipase and neutral lipase were significantly higher in the thawed hams and also the content of free fatty acids, at all the stages analyzed. Consumer sensory analysis showed thawed Iberian hams had the lowest hardness, probably due to an intense proteolysis. The acceptability of the Iberian hams was similar between fresh and thawed hams.     

High pressure treatment of dry-cured Iberian ham. Effect on radical formation,lipid oxidation and colour

The effect of high-pressure treatment (200, 400, 600 and 800 MPa) on radical formation in solid samples of dry-cured Iberian ham and in ham slurries was evaluated using the spin-trapping technique and electron spin resonance (ESR) spectroscopy. In addition, hexanal was, as a secondary lipid oxidation product, assessed by gas chromatography. The effect of pressure treatments on ESR signals determined in the spin-trapping assay following pressure treatment in solid samples of dry-cured Iberian ham was not statistically significant. However, the lowest level of pressure applied initiated radical formation and promoted lipid peroxidation, whereas intermediate to high levels of pressure seemed to promote further reaction and disappearance of free radicals. Pressure significantly affected hexanal content in the same way as seen for formation of free radicals. Regarding the slurries prepared from dry-cured ham, pressure significantly increased the tendency of radical formation as seen from the ESR signals and significantly increased the hexanal content. The different pattern between solid ham and ham slurries points toward an initiation mechanism associated with the membrane phospholipids for oxidation. In addition, surface colour (L*, a* and b* values and percent reflectance values) of non-pressurized and pressurized (200–800 MPa) dry-cured Iberian ham samples was assessed. Non-pressurized samples showed a higher lightness than pressurized samples, and redness significantly decreased with pressure treatment.     

Effect of IGF-II genotype and pig rearing system on the final characteristics of dry-cured Iberian hams

The effect of the IGF-II genotype (AG vs. GG) on the morphological and compositional parameters, the fatty acid composition of intramuscular fat, the odour concentration (analysed by dynamic olfactometry) and the volatile compound profile (analysed by proton transfer reaction time-of-flight mass spectrometry) of dry-cured Iberian ham was studied for the first time, and compared to the effect of pig rearing system (high-oleic concentrated feed vs. acorn and grass). The IGF-II genotype had no effect on most variables. However, it influenced the concentration of some odorants (methanethiol and octanal), although it did not affect odour concentration. Conversely, the rearing system had a significant effect on a large number of ham variables. Results indicate a negligible effect of the IGF-II genotype on the final ham quality and confirm that the rearing system has a marked effect.     

Accumulation and evolution of tocopherols in dry-cured hams from Iberian pigs as affected by their feeding and rearing system

The influence of feeding and rearing systems on the accumulation and evolution of α- and γ-tocopherols in relation to storage time in dry-cured ham slices and pieces was investigated. The accumulation of γ-tocopherol in Musculus Biceps femoris or fat of cured hams was lower in groups fed acorns indoors than in those fed outdoors. However, these differences were not detected in M. Semimembranosus. Hams from pigs fed acorns had higher proportion of RRR-α-tocopherol stereoisomer and could also be used to discriminate the feeding background of the animals but not the rearing system. Loss in α- and γ-tocopherols of ham slices with storage was not affected by the rearing system but by the feeding. The discrimination between groups is better during the first 7 days of analysis. Loss in redness and yellowness was lower in ham slices from outdoor group which would indicate that exercise or other compounds provided by grass are also of interest in these quality parameters.     

Composition of subcutaneous fat from dry‐cured Iberian hams as influenced by pig feeding

The triacylglycerol and free fatty acid composition and volatile profile of subcutaneous fat of three batches of dry‐cured lberian hams from pigs fed in an extensive system based on acorn and pasture (‘montanera’: MONT) or in confinement with a control diet (FEED) or a 100 mg α‐tocopheryl acetate kg^?1 enriched diet (VITE) were investigated. Triacylglycerol of subcutaneous fat of hams from pigs fed on acorn and pasture (MONT) was more unsaturated, with larger percentages of monounsaturated and polyunsaturated fatty acids, than triacylglycerol of subcutaneous fat of hams from pigs fed on concentrate feeds (FEED and VITE). However, the trend of oxidative processes was quite similar in the groups that contained antioxidants (‘montanera’ and α‐tocopherol supplementation); namely, the highest volatile contents were found in subcutaneous fat of hams from pigs fed on acorn and pasture, while α‐tocopherol supplementation gave rise to a different profile of volatile compounds in comparison with the control diet. Therefore antioxidant presence could contribute to a high intensity and quality of aroma of these hams. © 2001 Society of Chemical Industry     

Sensory traits prediction in dry-cured hams from fresh product via MRI and lipid composition

The aim of this paper is to describe a methodology that can predict Iberian dry-cured ham sensory traits from raw material characteristics, lipid composition and Magnetic Resonance Imaging-based analysis, by using Multiple Linear Regression statistics. Thus, 18 sensory traits are tried to be defined from 10 fatty acids and 17 computational texture features. Dependence linearity within each group of independent variables is determined. Then, Multiple Linear Regression (MLR) is applied, obtaining allowable statistical coefficients (adjusted coefficient of determination,  > 0.750 and p-value < 0.05) for five sensory traits defined from fatty acids (fat hardness, lean hardness, flavour intensity, brightness and juiciness), and four traits from computational texture features (marbling, odour intensity, flavour intensity and redness). Finally, prediction analysis is validated with a display of statistical data (_LOO and p-value_LOO). Therefore, some sensory traits in Iberian dry-cured hams can be predicted from fatty acids and computational texture characteristics in fresh products.     

Study of salting and post-salting stages of fresh and thawed Iberian hams

Fresh raw material has been traditionally used to obtain dry-cured Iberian ham, although the use of thawed raw material is increasing. This type of raw material has been previously studied for dry-cured production employing White pigs, where the salting time has been reduced to reach similar NaCl concentrations. The aim of this work was the analysis of salting and post-salting stages of Iberian hams, employing fresh or thawed raw materials. The results showed that fresh Iberian hams had higher salt concentrations than thawed Iberian hams for the salting time ratio used, a ratio established to reduce the freezing/thawing effect that was previously observed working with White ham. This fact shows that the Iberian raw material in dry-cured ham manufacturing is less affected, by the freezing/thawing process than the White raw material.     

Effect of different cooking methods on lipid oxidation and formation of free cholesterol oxidation products (COPs) in Latissimus dorsi muscle of Iberian pigs

The aim of this work was to study the influence of different cooking methods (grilled (GR), fried (FP), microwave (MW) and roasted (RO)) on lipid oxidation and formation of free cholesterol oxidation products (COPs) of meat from Iberian pigs that have been fed on an intensive system. Moisture and total lipid content, TBARs, hexanal and COPs were measured in Latissimus dorsi muscle samples. Cooking did not produce changes in total lipid content in meat but induced significantly higher lipid oxidation (TBARs and hexanal values) (p < 0.001) and cholesterol oxidation (COPs) (p < 0.01). When the different cooking methods were studied, the grilled method was the least affected by lipid oxidation (TBARs and hexanal) compared to the others. There were no significant differences among different cooking methods on COPs values. The most abundant cholesterol oxides were both 7α-hydroxycholesterol and 7β-hydroxycholesterol in all groups studied.     

Extensive feeding versus oleic acid and tocopherol enriched mixed diets for the production of Iberian dry-cured hams: Effect on chemical composition, oxidative status and sensory traits

The present study aimed to analyse the chemical composition and oxidative status of Iberian dry-cured hams from pigs fed different finishing diets: extensive feeding on acorns and pasture in a "Montanera" traditional system (MON), fed in confinement with a mixed diet containing high-oleic sunflower oil (115g/kg of diet) and supplemented with 250mg/kg α-tocopherol (HOVE), and fed in confinement control mixed diet (CON) without added tocopherol and oleic acid fat. Muscles from MON dry-cured hams contained significantly (p<0.05) higher amounts of intramuscular fat (IMF) than those from HOVE and CON hams. The feeding background affected the tocopherol levels in dry-cured hams as those from MON and HOVE pigs had significantly higher levels of α-tocopherol than those from CON pigs whereas the extensive feeding provided muscles from MON pigs with significantly higher levels of γ-tocopherol than the experimental diets did to CON and HOVE pigs. The HOVE diet significantly increased the levels of oleic acid in Iberian dry-cured hams with these levels being similar to the oleic acid levels found in MON hams and significantly higher than those in CON hams. Compared to dry-cured hams from CON pigs, those from MON and HOVE pigs exhibited a higher oxidative stability as a likely result of a most favourable fatty acid composition and the presence of higher tocopherol levels. The principal component analysis (PCA) successfully discriminated between dry-cured hams from pigs fed different finishing diets.     

Ultrasonic assessment of the melting behaviour in fat from Iberian dry-cured hams

The feasibility of using ultrasounds to characterize the melting properties of fat from Iberian dry-cured hams was evaluated. Differential Scanning Calorimetry (DSC) and ultrasonic measurements were used to characterize the fat melting. The ultrasonic velocity in fat decreased with the increase in temperature, showing four different sections (0–4 °C, 4–10 °C, 10–20 °C and 20–24 °C). Ultrasonic velocity was related (R² = 0.99) to the percentage of melted fat (%MEF) showing an increase of 5.4 ms⁻¹ for 1% increase of melted fat (%MEF above 60%). The thermal history did not affect the ultrasonic measurements from 10 to 25 °C and, consequently, this range was the most suitable for classifying Iberian dry-cured products with different genetics and feeding backgrounds. Ultrasonic measurements could be a reliable technique to estimate the %MEF and subsequently the related sensory attributes in Iberian dry-cured ham at 10–25 °C, which is the common temperature range for the consumption of Iberian dry-cured products.     

Estimation of the genetic admixture composition of Iberian dry-cured ham samples using DNA multilocus genotypes

Under current Spanish regulations, the pigs that provide the raw material for the preparation of the country's most appreciated meat-derived product, dry-cured Iberian ham, must be of a specific genetic composition. Only the Duroc breed is accepted for crossing with Iberian pigs, and a maximum of 50% of the Duroc genome is permitted in the animals used to make this ham. This paper describes a set of statistical procedures for detecting the 'breed composition' of Iberian ham via the use of multilocus genotypes obtained by the amplification of 25 microsatellite markers. The proposed procedure detected up to 20% of ham samples with a genetic composition incompatible with present legislation - either because the Duroc genome was present in a percentage greater than that permitted, or because of the significant presence (>25%) of white coat pig genomes. The probability of finding an illegal cured ham was greater in restaurants than in retail grocery stores, and in medium-low category restaurants or stores than in higher category establishments.     

Effects of breed and age at slaughter on degradation of muscle lipids during processing of dry‐cured hams

Hams from Landrace, Duroc and Hampshire pigs slaughtered at ages 6, 7.5 and 9 months were processed to generate Norwegian Parma‐style hams. Lipid contents and the compositions of fatty acid classes (ΣSFA, ΣMUFA, ΣPUFA) within neutral lipids, phospholipids and free fatty acids were determined. Small differences in lipid degradation and composition of the classes were revealed. However, significant sensory differences related to lipids were observed. Breed was more important than age. Dry‐cured Hampshire hams gave a more intense mature odour that may be associated with higher overall lipid degradation. Unexpectedly, these hams also demonstrated high juiciness and tenderness, which could be related to the melting characteristics of the fat. Dry‐cured Duroc hams showed a higher susceptibility towards rancidity, presumably associated with preferential oxidation of n‐6 fatty acids relative to C18:1 n‐9. Dry‐cured Landrace hams showed the lowest juiciness and tenderness, likely due to their lower fat content (marbling).     

Free amino acids and other non-volatile compounds formed during processing of Iberian ham

Fifty-five legs from Iberian pigs were traditionally processed into dry cured hams. Free amino acids and other non-volatile compounds in the water-soluble fraction from the biceps femoris muscle were analyzed by HPLC. At the drying stage and in the last months in the cellar the largest increases in these water-soluble compounds took place. There was a clear influence on free amino acid formation of salt content and on the formation of peptides of the temperature at each processing stage. As the amount of non-volatile compounds in the water-soluble fraction increases with processing time, their determination could provide a maturation index for Iberian ham.     

Protein and lipid oxidation in Longissimus dorsi and dry cured loin from Iberian pigs as affected by crossbreeding and diet

Lipid and protein oxidation in Longissimus dorsi (LD) and dry-cured loins from pigs with different genetic (pure Iberian (IBP), Iberian female × Duroc male (IB × D) and Duroc female × Iberian male (D × IB)) and feeding backgrounds (free rearing on acorn and pasture (MON), concentrates high in oleic acid and supplemented with 250 ppm of vitamin E(HOVE) and control concentrates (CON)) were investigated. Diet influenced the fatty acids profile from PL and α- and γ-tocopherol contents of LD. IBP–MON pigs showed the lowest malonaldehyde (MDA) values at 200 min of iron induced muscle oxidation. Dry-cured loins from IBP–HOVE pigs had significantly (p < 0.05) higher values of TBARS than those from the other batches. Neither the diet nor crossbreeding affected hexanal counts in dry-cured loins. Protein carbonyl content showed a similar trend to that observed for MDA values in LD, suggesting a protective role of tocopherol against lipid and protein oxidation. The positive and significant correlations between iron induced lipid oxidation in LD (200 min) and carbonyl content in LD and dry-cured loin (R²: 0.55 and R²: 0.52, respectively, p < 0.01) support the relationship between lipid and protein oxidation.     

Hydrolysis and Maillard Reactions During Ripening of Iberian Ham

Thirty-eight hams from Iberian breed were processed by the traditional dry-curing procedure. Active proteolysis and autooxidation occur during the first period, as revealed by the accumulation of peptide, nitrogen and carbonyl compounds. In the second step a strong increase in amino acid nitrogen was observed, whereas the content of all the aldehydes studied decreased notably. This could be due to condensations between carbonyls and free amino acids during the summer period. While hams were kept in the cellar, the overall increase of amino acid nitrogen was in contrast to the slow rate of accumulation of some individual amino acids. This was presumably due to degradation to volatile derivatives, where Maillard reactions could be involved.     

Efficiency of mitochondrial DNA restriction analysis and RAPD-PCR to characterize yeasts growing on dry-cured Iberian ham at the different geographic areas of ripening

The efficiency of mitochondrial DNA (mtDNA) restriction analysis and random amplification of polymorphic DNA (RAPD)-PCR to characterize yeasts growing on dry-cured Iberian ham was evaluated. Besides, the distribution of the main species and biotypes of yeasts in the different ripening areas of this product was investigated. MtDNA restriction analysis allowed yeast characterization at species and strain level. RAPD-PCR with the primers (GACA)₄ and (GAC)₅ was inappropriate for characterization at species level. Most of the mtDNA restriction patterns detected in dry-cured Iberian ham were consistent with Debaryomyces hansenii. Several yeasts biotypes were associated to specific geographic areas of dry-cured Iberian ham ripening.